Increase material manufacture method and equipmentTechnical field
The present invention relates to a kind of increasing material manufacture method and equipment, and specifically but not exclusively to the method and apparatus of a kind of supporter building object, described object is to use making of increasing that material manufacture builds can discharge described object from supporter easily when building and terminating. The present invention is particularly applicable to be built object and the supporting construction being associated by metal dust.
Background technology
In increasing material manufacture process, such as in selective laser melting (SLM) or selective laser sintering (SLS), object is to use the such as focused high-energy such as laser beam or electron beam bundle successively to be built by the consolidation of the materials such as such as dusty material. In SLM or SLS, the pantostrat of powder deposits on construction platform, and focused laser beam crosses is scanned corresponding to the part of each layer of cross section of constructed object so that laser scanning to the powder at some place be consolidation. The example of material manufacture process is increased described in US6042774 and WO2010/007394.
In order to by object grappling in position and in order to prevent or at least reduce the deformation (such as, curling) of object, during building, it is known that build the supporter of the identical material that the lower surface from construction platform to object extends. Typical supporting construction includes series of thin pillar, and described pillar extends to object from construction platform. When building end, from object, remove supporter to provide final article. However it has been found that be difficult to remove in a repeatable manner these supporters, that each object (such as, nominally in a series of identical objects) is looked like is identical.
As an example, Fig. 1 a to 1c illustrates the supporter 1 being arranged to lattice, and above support can use Magics (software kit sold by Materialise limited company) to create. In this example, object 2 is the inserted tooth with central concave 3. Supporter 1 extends in depression 3 with the ventricumbent surface 4 at depression 3 inner support objects 2. It is extremely difficult for removing the supporter la being arranged in depression 3. Additionally, high supporter, for instance, extend to the supporter la in depression 3, sprawl period when contacting wiper it may happen that bending at powder bed.
It is known that provide the breakaway poing that weakens at the top place of supporter, for instance, as disclosed in EP0655317, EP1120228 and EP1358855, described in the breakaway poing that weakens contribute to discharging supporter from object. But, the region of supporter weaken the insufficient support being likely to cause object. For example, during building, promote that object occurs the produced power of curling heat that object can be caused to weaken breakaway poing place at these and causes the distortion of structure and possible failure from supporter disengaging.
WO2012/131481 discloses the supporter of a kind of volume element having predefined breakaway poing and serve as radiator.
US5595703 discloses a kind of for the supporter in stereolithography art, and the diameter of above support makes to obtain maximum support thing at the top place of object towards top increase, and uses minimal amount of material at bottom place.
Summary of the invention
One is provided to increase material manufacture method according to the first aspect of the invention, described method includes by repeatedly providing the layer of material on construction platform and crossing over described layer scanning beam so that material consolidation successively builds object, wherein provide multiple supporter for supporting object during building, each supporter includes the 2 dimension patterns by fragile structures and is attached to the main body of object, and described method farther includes input power to be applied to main body to cause the displacement of main body so that fragile structures ruptures.
Fragile structures guarantees to separate from supporter at repeatable position object, and the 2 of supporter dimension patterns may insure that the supporter providing enough is to prevent fragile structures during building from separating from object. Specifically, the pattern of fragile structures provides intensity in two dimensions. Provide the structural support and allow to remove supporter from object more easily as multiple spaced apart main bodys. Main body can provide enough rigidity to avoid higher supporter by bending with contacting of scraping blade. Additionally, compared with the fenestral fabric described by reference Fig. 1 a to 1c, this main body may act as better radiator.
Position applying input power in main body the leverage of main body can be made to provide making a concerted effort more than input power in each fragile structures.
While the present invention contributes to removing supporter by leverage from object, it is ensured that supporter is spaced apart in the repeatable position defined by fragile structures.
Fragile structures has the structure different from main body, so that under input power, fragile structures and main body are more easily than fracture. Main body can have enough structural integrities so that can apply input power to cause main body to pivot so that fragile structures fracture is without making main body that notable deformation to occur, for instance, when release from object, the structure of main body is substantially identical with during building. Big many of make main body significantly deform input power that required power can be more required than making fragile structures fracture.
Main body could be for supporting pillar or the socle of object, and described pillar or socle are connected to object by fragile structures. Main body can be solid block/entirety, have solid walls or the housing of lattice structure. Main body can have the structure of substantially homogenizing in the whole volume that it is occupied.
For example, when main body includes lattice structure, the framework of lattice structure can be formed by the 3 dimension structure cells repeated in the whole volume of main body.
2 dimension patterns of fragile structures can be regular pattern, for instance, the grid of fragile structures, can be maybe the irregular pattern of fragile structures. The pattern of fragile structures is 2 dimension patterns, and is therefore not the single line of breakaway poing through weakening, as disclosed in EP0655317 and E1S7084370. The single line of the breakaway poing through weakening may not provide enough cross-brace so that under the Lateral Force that supporter occurs during building, and subsides on the direction of the line of the breakaway poing weakened being perpendicular to. 2 dimension patterns of fragile structures can improve this problem by increasing the resistance of the cross force occurred during building.
2 dimension patterns of fragile structures can include multiple repetitive. Fragile structures can include being arranged to multiple independent frangible unit of 2 dimension patterns, for instance, each there are the independent row in sufficiently small cross section with the fracture when applying input power, or independent circular cone or be too narrow to other shape in this type of sufficiently small cross section. Alternately, fragile structures can include combining the frangible unit to form one or more larger structure. For example, fragile structures can include the grid of thin wall-like section that fracture occurs under the applying of input power.
Fragile structures can be arranged on the first direction on surface being parallel to object to support and in the surface being parallel to object and two or more the spaced apart positions offer support being perpendicular in the second direction of first direction in two or more spaced apart positions offers. The spaced apart distance between position can less than 0.8mm and preferably 0.6mm. The spaced apart distance between position can more than 0.2mm and preferably 0.4mm.
Preferably, in the position closest to object, the gap between main body is less than the ultimate range between the element of fragile structures. For example, gap can less than 0.5mm and be preferably less than 0.4mm.
Input power can be applied to the far-end of the main body away from fragile structures. Input power can be passed through such as hammer or the like and wait instrument to apply.
Described method can include using increasing material manufacture process to build supporter.
According to the second aspect of the invention, a kind of supporting construction for supporting object during increasing material manufacture is provided, wherein object is by repeatedly providing the layer of material on construction platform and crossing over described layer scanning beam so that material consolidation successively builds, described supporting construction includes the multiple supporters for supporting object, and each supporter includes the 2 dimension patterns by fragile structures and is attached to the main body of object.
Supporter can be arranged so that main body defines gap betwixt, and at least one in main body can be pivoted in described gap by input power so that fragile structures ruptures. Can set that the size in gap, so that main body has enough amplitudes of oscillation so that fragile structures ruptures.
The shape of main body can allow position that input power is applied in main body to cause making a concerted effort more than input power in each fragile structures.
Main body can have far-end (bottom) part, input power can be applied to described distal portions so that main body pivots around pivotal point, it is being perpendicular to about on the direction of the rotating shaft of pivotal point, this distal portions, compared with the frangible structure farthest with distance pivotal point, farther apart from described pivotal point. In this way, make to be applied to the making a concerted effort more than input power of fragile structures around the relative moment of pivotal point.
At least one in main body can become narrow gradually from object towards construction platform, to provide enough space between the contiguous main body of in main body and other supporter, with allow described main body or described contiguous main body pivot movement in described space so that fragile structures fracture.
The top of each main body can follow the profile of object with provide between main body and object by fragile structures across setting gap. The height (and being therefore the size in the gap being set) of fragile structures less than 1mm, and can be preferably less than 0.5mm and be more preferably less than 0.3mm.
The main body of in supporter can include undercutting, and the main body of the main body of in this supporter another supporter contiguous, the top of the main body of this another supporter is projected in described undercutting.
One or more in main body can be hollow (being full of that do not melt and/or unsintered powder) and/or include aperture wherein. This can reduce the volume of main body to preserve material during building. The one or more curing materials formed in main body have been not likely to be fully dense. Use increase material manufacture process make be not fully dense supporter with use described process made fully dense supporter compared with can be faster.
Each supporter can include other fragile structures that main body is attached to construction platform.
Geometric data for controlling to increase material manufacture process is provided according to the third aspect of the invention we, described geometric data define object that increasing material manufacture process to be used builds and according to the second aspect of the invention for supporting the supporting construction of described object during increasing material manufacture process.
Described geometric data can be provided in suitable data medium.
The method produced for controlling to increase the geometric data of material manufacture process is provided according to the fourth aspect of the invention, described method includes the object built based on increasing material manufacture process to be used, and the geometric data of supporting construction is defined in design supporting construction according to the second aspect of the invention and generation.
There is provided according to the fifth aspect of the invention a kind of on it storage have the data medium of instruction, when being performed by processor, described instruction makes processor receive the object data of the object defining increasing material manufacture process to be used structure and automatically generate the geometric data defining supporting construction according to the second aspect of the invention based on described object data.
Described data medium can for being used for providing the suitable media of instruction/data for machine, such as non-transitory data medium, such as floppy disc, CDROM, DVDROM/RAM (comprises-R/-RW and+R/+RW), HDDVD, blue light (TM) CD, memorizer (such as memory stick (TM), SD card, compact flash card or the like), CD drive (such as hard disk drive), tape, any magnetic optical storage device or transient data carrier, such as, signal on line or optical fiber or wireless signal, such as via wired or wireless network, (such as the Internet is downloaded, FTP transmission or the like) signal that sends.
Accompanying drawing explanation
Fig. 1 a is the perspective view of the object that increasing material manufacture process to be used manufactures;
Fig. 1 b uses the Magics object shown in Fig. 1 a produced together with the perspective view of the grid of supporting construction;
Fig. 1 c is the view of the grid of object and supporting construction, has wherein excised a part for object so that the grid of the supporting construction in the depression extending in object to be described;
Fig. 2 a be according to an embodiment of the invention the object shown in Fig. 1 a together with the perspective view of supporting construction;
Fig. 2 b is the perspective view that part cuts open object and the supporting construction illustrated in Fig. 2 a shown;
Fig. 2 c is the plane graph of the supporting construction of the pattern that fragile structures is described according to one embodiment of present invention;
Fig. 3 a is the side view of object according to another embodiment of the invention and supporting construction;
Fig. 3 b is the zoomed-in view of the object shown in Fig. 3 a and supporting construction;
Fig. 3 c is the zoomed-in view of the part of Fig. 3 b in circle A;
Fig. 3 d is the perspective view of the supporting construction shown in Fig. 3 a to 3c;
Fig. 4 is the side view of object according to another embodiment of the invention and supporting construction;
Fig. 5 is the perspective view of object according to another embodiment of the invention and supporting construction; And
Fig. 6 is the schematic diagram of supporter according to another embodiment of the invention.
Detailed description of the invention
With reference to Fig. 2 a to 2c, for including multiple independent supporter 105a to 105h in the supporting construction 101 increasing material manufacture (such as, SLM or SLS) period support object 2 for supporting described object. Each supporter includes main body 106a to 106h, and described main body is attached to described object by 2 dimensions pattern (pattern) of fragile structures 107, and described fragile structures can be destroyed by exerting a force to main body 106a to 106h. Main body 106a to 106h uses SLM or SLS process and the block of material block that solidifies. In figure 2 c, the regular grid pattern of breakable element 107 is illustrated for supporter 105c, 105d, 105a and 105f. Each supporter farther includes further fragile structures 108, and main body 106a to 106h is attached to construction platform (not shown) by this fragile structures 108.
Main body 106a to 106h is arranged to the gap 112 defined therebetween, and main body 106a to 106h can be moved in this gap by input power. The size setting each gap 112 makes each main body 106a to 106h have enough amplitudes of oscillation so that fragile structures 107a to 107f ruptures. Specifically, at least some in main body 106a to 106h becomes narrow gradually from the near-end 110 on top towards the far-end 111 of bottom so that be provided with gap 112 between the main body 106 of contiguous supporter 105. When main body 106 is displaced in gap 112, this permission main body 106a to the 106h that becomes narrow gradually rotates about the point close to object. The length of main body 106b to 106e and rigidity make input power can be applied to far-end 111 so that main body 106 is displaced in gap 112 so that making a concerted effort on each in fragile structures 107 both is greater than input power. In this embodiment, between this amplitude of oscillation can be spent 5 to 30.
The profile of object 2 is followed to provide the gap being set between main body and object in the top of each main body 106, and fragile structures 107 is across this gap being set. In this embodiment, fragile structures 107 includes grid, and when applying power upper to main body 106a to 106h, this grid is likely to fracture. Grid has the height of 0.3mm. Distance d between the parallel walls of network is between 0.4mm and 0.8mm. Have been found that, for metal object, such as, steel object, the width of 0.4mm guarantees the element (diameter of the melting tank generally produced in SLM technique is approximately 0.2mm, and therefore the distance of 0.4mm guarantees that the produced melting tank for building the adjacent wall of grid keeps interval) that described wall is built as separating. For some shape, for the interval of wall more than 0.8mm, it was observed that object is sagging. On a small quantity sagging can be acceptable, and therefore the distance more than 0.8mm may be used for some application. Certainly, the acceptable level of relatively large distance that required supporter will change along with body form and orientation and can be built between the wall with grid by the specific orientation of certain objects or object. The sizing grid of 0.4 to 0.8mm provides the sizing grid of a kind of acceptable result that will provide in major part situation.
The top of main body 106 has the Breadth Maximum W of 8mm to 10mm. The width exceeding this width is likely to result in the input power making fragile structures 107 rupture required more than the power using the instrument manually operated to apply easily.
The material (such as, steel) identical with the material being used for building object 2 is generally used to build supporting construction 105 during increasing material manufacture process. Last at building process, power is separately applied to main body 106a to the 106h of each supporter 105a to 105h so that main body 106a to 106h shifts so that fragile structures 107 ruptures. Specifically, the shape become narrow gradually of some in main body allows each main body 106a to the 106h to be shifted to pivot around the point at proximal 110 place to pull the near-end 110 of main body leave object and make fragile structures 107 rupture. The applying of power will also make the breakable element 108 for supporter is attached to construction platform rupture. Input power can apply close to the far-end 111 of main body 106a to 106h. For example, input power can use sensing instrument (such as, cutter 220) to be applied to the far-end of main body 106, it is possible to exert a force to the far-end of main body 106 with such as mallet or hammer 221.
The length of main body 106b to the 106g of supporter 105b to 105g is longer than the width of the near-end 110 of main body 106b to 106g, for instance, the height of the 20mm width to 10mm. Therefore, it is applied to the input power of the far-end 111 of main body 106b to 106g, compared with any one in the fragile structures 107 at near-end 110 place, pivotal point/line relatively large distance will be left. In this way, make to be applied to the making a concerted effort more than input power of fragile structures about the relative moment of pivotal point.
In order to make input power be transferred to fragile structures 107 by the displacement of main body 106, main body 106 must be suitably rigidity. In this embodiment, main body is by the solid block being completely melt to be formed of dusty material in SLM technique. However, it is to be understood that main body has been not likely to be fully dense object, as long as it provides enough rigidity. For example, main body can sinter formation by reducing the surface power density of laser beam when forming supporting construction, but not is formed by the fusing of dusty material.
With reference to Fig. 3 a to 3d, it is shown that another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, supporter 205a to 205h is used to support object 202 during SLM builds. Such as preceding embodiment, fragile structures 207 and 208 is provided in the end of main body 206a to the 206h close to object 202, so that main body 206a to 206h is attached to object 202, and provide fragile structures 207 and 208 in the end of main body 206a to the 206h away from object 202, so that main body 206a to 206h is attached to construction platform 209.
But, in this embodiment, the main body 206 of in supporter 205 includes undercutting 215, the main body 206 of the main body 206 of in this supporter 205 another supporter 205 contiguous, is projected in described undercutting at the top place prominent 216 of the main body 206 of another supporter 205. When automatically generating fragile structures 207 in software, this type of layout can be advantageous for, and it produces fragile structures 207 by making fragile structures be downwardly projected from the ventricumbent surface of object 202 to the supine surface of the structure (main body or construction platform 209) being in bottom. If being between contiguous main body at near-end 210 there is clearance D (wherein an any part in main body extends below) all without in this gap, then fragile structures will be projecting downwardly into construction platform from the surface of object. Undercutting 215 and prominent 216 guarantee to be absent from fragile structures 207 can along its prominent vertical line, so the main body 206 of supporter 205 can't be intercepted. Not having undercutting, distance D distance preferably and between the wall of grid is identical. But, when having undercutting, distance D can be relatively big, as illustrated in figure 3 c.
Fig. 4 illustrates how that main body 306 can include aperture 317 to reduce the amount of the material for forming main body 306. Aperture 317 should be designed so that, by making fragile structures 307 rupture, from object 302, main body 306 removed period, and main body 306 still has the transmission for power of the enough rigidity. In this embodiment, undercutting 315 and corresponding prominent 316 are provided at the place further downward of main body 306. When around undercutting 315 with prominent 316 near point but not be positioned at the point at the top place of main body 306 separate fragile structures 307 time, this pivoting action being likely to cause main body 306.
Fig. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment, and wherein supporter 405 only supports the part on the ventricumbent surface of object 402.
Fig. 6 illustrates the supporter 505 of pendle 502a for supporting object 502, is wherein limited close to the space below pendle 502a. In this embodiment, if supporter is provided directly in below pendle 502a, so would be impossible to make supporter displacement so that fragile structures fracture because object 502 prevent supporter displacement in one direction and limited close to prevent on a support place tool so that supporter shifts in the other directions. Therefore it provides supporter 505, wherein main body 506 is shaped to be extended object 502 to provide gap 512 place betwixt. Main body 506 becomes narrow gradually from the far-end of object 502 to the near-end of object 502. Exerting a force to near-end makes main body 506 be pivoted in gap 512 around the point of far-end, makes fragile structures 507 and 508 rupture.
It will be appreciated that in Fig. 3 a to 3d, 4,5 and 6, similar but be respectively series 200,300,400 with 500 reference numbers for the element similar or identical with other figure of reference element described.
Supporter mentioned above can Automated Design in the software on the computer separated with SLM machine. Supporter can based on object design to be built. Computer uses SLM technique to produce to define the geometric data of object to be built and supporting construction and this geometric data is delivered to SLM machine for performing structure via suitable data medium.
It will be appreciated that define in without departing from such as claims the scope of the present invention embodiment described herein can be made amendment and change.
For example, main body can include housing or lattice structure but not solid body. Main body can be designed as the hollow pipe/housing with overall closure surfaces, and therefore loose powder is carried in inside.